Large Scale Honey production.. Viable ?

[peteinwilts]

Thanks.

Think you are what would be classed as a larger producer ?

Which would you consider best, any particular reasons ?

IMHO the type of hive, type of bee, type of forage available and amount of management are all linked equally.

 

[BrianO]

Thanks Pete

You have a good no of colonies , if you were starting again on the Hive issue, would you run with Nationals for ease of use , honey production etc or prefer another type ?

 

[B+.]

IMHO the type of hive, type of bee, type of forage available and amount of management are all linked equally.

particularly with the management point.
If your bees are stationary, it doesn't matter much what sort of hive they are in. If you move them around at all, you may need to consider lifting gear for the larger formats. Also, if the queen produces large colonies, you have to use a format that is large enough to accomodate it.

Personally, I wouldn't consider anything smaller than a Langstroth for my queens. I would expect them to fill a double brood in summer and another 3-4 with honey. This depends on the forage available to them though. You have to work according to your area.

 

[BrianO]

particularly with the management point.
If your bees are stationary, it doesn't matter much what sort of hive they are in. If you move them around at all, you may need to consider lifting gear for the larger formats. Also, if the queen produces large colonies, you have to use a format that is large enough to accomodate it.

Personally, I wouldn't consider anything smaller than a Langstroth for my queens. I would expect them to fill a double brood in summer and another 3-4 with honey. This depends on the forage available to them though. You have to work according to your area.

Now that's very interesting to me.. Thanks.

If anyone could give me some advise, would be much appreciated.

Have 5 standard Nationals and 4 Nucs on standard national frames currently.

My Apiaries are very well located regarding forage, having access to acres of mature suburban gardens in one case and the other a more country setting but still plenty of dwellings close by with mature planting and miles of unspoilt old native hedgerow.

After 2 seasons running standard Nationals am in a position to realize I would be better fixed with a larger single brood setup .

Having National already I thought swapping to 14 * 12's would be the way to go having to just then increase height with an adapter/eke style add on.

Any opinions or tips on how I would go about switching over ?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

just stick them in the new boxes - they will continue to build comb down below the bottom bar then gradually change to 14x12 frames during your frame renewal cycle.

 

[oliver90owner]

Or put something below the deeps to prevent wild comb.

Or shook swarm.

Or Bailey frame change.

Or

 

[foghornleghorn]

Why not run double deeps in spring/summer single in winter

 

[peteinwilts]

Thanks Pete

You have a good no of colonies , if you were starting again on the Hive issue, would you run with Nationals for ease of use , honey production etc or prefer another type ?

I acquired a commercial from a chap who was threatening it with a petrol can. They were savage, but when moved back to mine they calmed right down. I ran the commercial for a season, and did not really get on with the shortness of the lugs. Because they were a little tetchy, I wore leather gloves which were a little clumsy.

I like the idea of 14x12's. Some strains of bee work very well in them, but others do not fill it up. However, I have multiple back injury's, and holding 14x12 frames puts pressure on one of my dodgy discs.
The extra weight, and having to hold the frame further away aggravates the disc quite badly after just a small number of hives.

I like nationals, as the frames (for me) are a good size and parts are readily available. Having to B+1/2 or double brood is not ideal when inspecting, but less painful than 14x12's.
All of my full hives are home made, and am slowly phasing 14x12 hives out... my next batch of hives are likely to be purchased, and probably poly.

I will continue to use wood for travelling hives, as I bump and dent my poly NUC's all the time.

So far, I have not seen a full poly hive roof that I like as they seem to be quite flimsy. When strapped they tend to raise at the edges a little as they get older.... maybe I am just too rough with them. I may go for a hybrid approach of wood and poly... ask me again in a year!

 

[B+.]

Any opinions or tips on how I would go about switching over ?

Put a commercial ontop (as it has the same footprint and is approx the same size as a Langstroth in comb area), let them expand onto it, then use your Nationals as supers or sell them as singles.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Or put something below the deeps to prevent wild comb.

By leaving them in standard National deep boxes? point is to have them fill the 14x12 box - seen it done in the way I said, the little bit of brace comb is no big deal

 

[Finman]

or put something below the deeps to prevent wild comb.

Or shook swarm.

Or bailey frame change.

Or

why?

If you want to change your hive type, let the colony grow bigger. Because big colonies build up fastest.

When it is time to enlarge hive, put the new box under the old ones. Excluder between and queen into the new box.

If you put new box over, bees fill old combs with valuable pollen.

Brood emerge, bees fill the combs with honey and you extract the frames. What to do with frames... You may keep the good combs and rear them new colonies as long as they become too old.

Then you add more new boxes and foundations, and gradually you have a total hive in new boxes.

Do not waste you old boxes and foundations.
Worst you can do is shook swarms or Bailey exhange. ... And destroy the brood, which is the most valuble in the hive.

You do not need to destroy anything. You use them to finish.
Or one way is to sell the unwanted hive furnitures.

Start needs allways new combs and there is no reason to destroy old furniture if they have no serious diseases.

Look Pargyle. He has many type hived and he is only happy about it.

If you have couple of hive, you are very far from professional.
.
.

 

[Finman]

Why not run double deeps in spring/summer single in winter

That is what professionals do in Finland. They
have 1000 -1500 hives. Some respect if you again find something funny about climate. (vodka and mushrooms)

 

[For want of a better word]

Originally Posted by foghornleghorn View Post
Why not run double deeps in spring/summer single in winter

Way to go.... doing this with standard brood Nationals, bonus is an easily made up nuc to sell when carrying out an AS.
Double brood colonies do produce more honey.... but the one size Langstroth's do look very appealing... not for me I just need a top up to my mediocre pension from beekeeping.... but then SWMBO says I am a workaholik!

Nos da

 

[For want of a better word]

That is what professionals do in Finland. They
have 1000 -1500 hives. Some respect if you again find something funny about climate. (vodka and mushrooms)

Let's not forget the Saunas !!

Nos da

 

[Finman]

Let's not forget the Saunas

Nos da

and not forget to buy diesel to car. Don't we (oh dear)

 

[Finman]

.. but the one size Langstroth's do look very appealing..a

How it appeals? to lift 45 kg boxes instead of mediums.

 

[For want of a better word]

and not forget to buy diesel to car. Don't we (oh dear)

..... Car is petrol......

How it appeals? to lift 45 kg boxes instead of mediums


..... I was being ironic????



Yeghes da

 

[Finman]

.....
..... I was being ironic????

why. You do not even know what is full langstroth.

Full langtsroth needs 25 kg honey. From where you get that?

 

[Finman]

..... Car is petrol......

We put diesel into car. You may put what ever.

You ironic? weak medication. That it is.

 

[For want of a better word]

We put diesel into car. You may put what ever.

You ironic? weak medication. That it is.

The car I have runs on petrol... it has a petrol engine... does not work so well on diesel... in fact not very well at all!

Would not describe Jura as weak!!!


Please try to get some sleep before Sunrise ( about March 22nd ?)!!

Yeghes da